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A Bittersweet Life

Original title: Dalkomhan insaeng
  • 2005
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 59m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
48K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,579
678
A Bittersweet Life (2005)
Things go wrong for a high ranking mobster when he doesn't follow his boss's orders.
Play trailer2:44
1 Video
58 Photos
KoreanGangsterOne-Person Army ActionTragedyActionCrimeDramaThriller

Things go wrong for a high ranking mobster when he doesn't follow his boss's orders.Things go wrong for a high ranking mobster when he doesn't follow his boss's orders.Things go wrong for a high ranking mobster when he doesn't follow his boss's orders.

  • Director
    • Kim Jee-woon
  • Writers
    • Kim Jee-woon
    • Dong-Cheol Kim
  • Stars
    • Lee Byung-hun
    • Shin Min-a
    • Kim Yeong-cheol
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    48K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,579
    678
    • Director
      • Kim Jee-woon
    • Writers
      • Kim Jee-woon
      • Dong-Cheol Kim
    • Stars
      • Lee Byung-hun
      • Shin Min-a
      • Kim Yeong-cheol
    • 122User reviews
    • 102Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 8 wins & 19 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:44
    Trailer

    Photos58

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 53
    View Poster

    Top Cast99+

    Lee Byung-hun
    Lee Byung-hun
    • Seon-woo
    Shin Min-a
    Shin Min-a
    • Hee-soo
    Kim Yeong-cheol
    Kim Yeong-cheol
    • Mr. Kang
    • (as Kim Young-chul)
    Hwang Jung-min
    Hwang Jung-min
    • President Baek
    Kim Roe-ha
    Kim Roe-ha
    • Moon-seok
    Kim Hae-gon
    • Weapon smuggler
    • (as Hae-gon Kim)
    Eric Moon
    Eric Moon
    • Gun Dealer's Brother
    • (as Eric)
    Oh Dal-su
    Oh Dal-su
    • Myung-goo
    Lee Ki-young
    Lee Ki-young
    • Oh Moo-seong
    Jin Goo
    Jin Goo
    • Min-gi
    Lee Ahn-Gyoo
    • Recording Studio Senior
    Kim Byeong-Gook
    • Lounge New Manager
    Kwon Chae-Yeong
    • Room Lady
    Ryoo Chang-Hoon
    • Recording Studio Engineer Assistant
    Choi Chang-Kyun
    • Mr. Kangs Assistant
    Kim Dae-Yong
    • Moon-Seoks Subordinate
    Wang Deok-Sang
    • Shoulder Bag
    Baek Dong-Hyeon
    • Moon-Seoks Subordinate
    • Director
      • Kim Jee-woon
    • Writers
      • Kim Jee-woon
      • Dong-Cheol Kim
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews122

    7.547.9K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'A Bittersweet Life' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
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    Related interests

    Choi Min-sik in Oldboy (2003)
    Korean
    Marlon Brando and Salvatore Corsitto in The Godfather (1972)
    Gangster
    Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
    One-Person Army Action
    Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams in Manchester by the Sea (2016)
    Tragedy
    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      The Korean title "Dalkomhan Insaeng" and the name of the bar "La Dolce Vita" translate to "The Sweet Life". As an ironic touch the International English title is called "A Bittersweet Life".
    • Goofs
      Toward the end of the film, when Kim Sun-woo is walking down the corridor searching for his former boss, a guard sitting and reading a newspaper gets up to stop him. Kim Sun-woo shoots him but his gun is not pointed at the guard. Rather, it is clearly pointed at the wall where fake blood appears after the shot like a paint gun.
    • Quotes
      • Sun-woo: One late autumn night, the disciple awoke crying. So the master asked the disciple, "Did you have a nightmare?" "No." "Did you have a sad dream?" "No," said the disciple. "I had a sweet dream." "Then why are you crying so sadly?" The disciple wiped his tears away and quietly answered, "Because the dream I had can't come true."
    • Crazy credits
      At the end of the credits, the sign above the bar that says "La Dolce Vita" is seen exploding.
    • Alternate versions
      Two versions of the film exist, the original theatrical version and the director's cut. The director's cut's edits include slight cutting and re-arrangement of scenes, swapping music placement and some additional scenes that do not appear in the original version of the film.
    • Connections
      References La Dolce Vita (1960)
    • Soundtracks
      Red Lounge
      Composed by Dalpalan
      Performed by Dalpalan

    Top picks

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    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Director's Cut?

    Details

    • Release date
      • April 1, 2005 (South Korea)
    • Country of origin
      • South Korea
    • Languages
      • Korean
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Dal-kom-han in-saeng
    • Filming locations
      • South Korea
    • Production companies
      • CJ Entertainment
      • B.O.M. Film Productions Co.
      • CJ Venture Investment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Gross worldwide
      • $10,080,831
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 59m(119 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital EX
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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